Aston Villa Hosts Bologna in Europa League Quarterfinal

Unai Emery's squad looks to seal semifinal berth after strong first leg in Italy.

Apr. 16, 2026 at 1:17pm

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A fragmented, cubist-style painting depicting the Aston Villa vs. Bologna Europa League quarterfinal match, with the players and field broken down into overlapping geometric shapes and planes in the teams' official colors.Aston Villa looks to advance to the Europa League semifinals by finishing off Bologna at home after a strong first-leg performance.Today in Birmingham

Aston Villa holds a solid advantage over Bologna heading into the second leg of their Europa League quarterfinal matchup. After a strong performance in the first leg in Italy, Villa is in prime position to advance to the semifinals, but must finish the job at home at Villa Park.

Why it matters

Reaching the Europa League semifinals would be a major accomplishment for Aston Villa, marking the furthest the club has advanced in European competition in over a decade. A deep run in the tournament would also provide a significant boost to the club's profile and finances.

The details

In the first leg in Italy, Aston Villa secured a 2-1 victory over Bologna, putting them in the driver's seat heading into the return fixture. Manager Unai Emery will be looking for his squad to build on that performance and finish the job at home to clinch a spot in the semifinals.

  • The first leg was played on April 6, 2026 in Bologna, Italy.
  • The second leg will be played on April 13, 2026 at Villa Park in Birmingham, England.

The players

Unai Emery

The manager of Aston Villa, who has guided the club to this Europa League quarterfinal.

Aston Villa

The English Premier League club hosting the second leg of the Europa League quarterfinal.

Bologna

The Italian Serie A club facing Aston Villa in the Europa League quarterfinal.

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What they’re saying

“We know we have a good advantage from the first leg, but we can't take anything for granted. Bologna is a tough opponent and we'll need to be at our best to finish the job at home.”

— Unai Emery, Manager, Aston Villa

What’s next

The winner of the Aston Villa vs. Bologna quarterfinal will advance to face the winner of the other Europa League quarterfinal matchup between Sevilla and Feyenoord in the semifinals.

The takeaway

Aston Villa is in a strong position to reach the Europa League semifinals for the first time in over a decade, but must avoid complacency and finish the job against a tough Bologna side at home.